, 1887-10-05
THE NEWS IN TOWN.
Volunteers Fastening to the Front
Amidst Great Excitement.

-
The news of the escape spread through
the city rapidly. 1t was in %everyone's
mouth in less than twenty minutes after
the men emerged from the prison. Citi-
zens hurried to the court house from every
direction. Never since the lynching of
Mosier has such a crowd gathered in the
vicinity of that structure. Each indivi-
dual desired to ascertain the names of the
fleeing criminals and the manner in which
they managed to escape from the famous
steel clad cells. Each able bodied man
was the bearer of a firearm of some sort,
and n stepped aside to avoid a collision
with a lady only to come in contact with
a rife or shot gun. Horses, all saddled
and bridled. stood in the assemblage as
goats mingle with sheep. Every bit of
news, each new theory and all trifing
particulars passed through the crowd like
a prairie fire overa dry range. Some one
said that the men were probably armed,
whereat another magnifed the assertion
and told his neighbor that each escaped
prisoner carried a Winchester rifle, a six
shooter and a bowie knife. Another thought
that if the outside friends and assistants
ofthe felons had provided firearms for them
that they certainly would not neglect to
furnish them with horses. This surmise
was Immediately converted into a pre-
sumed and natural fact. Jones. the bur-
glar, once darby limited that he had a
plant or cache near Cheyenne. The
credulous crowd was sure that the auda
cious safe blower had between 81, 800 and
$4,000 worth of jewelry buried within a
short distance of the city.
When Sheriff Sharpless called for vol
unteers to Join the pursuing posse more
brave men responded than moun and
firearms could be provided for. Saddle
horses and rifles were in great demand.
Several enthusiastic citizens purchased
rifles outright. Shotguns and revolvers
we're a drug on the market, these weap-
ons being unsuited for contest with such
desperate and reckless characters as Nc
Coy. Leroy, Jones and Sterry.
At $50 o'clock, fully two hours after
the prisoners escaped, Sheriff S~harpless,
who had been deputizing men right and
left, telephoning and t~elegraphing about
the country, writing orders for horses,
guns and ammunition, and answering the
questions of the crowd which besieged his
office, suddenly bethought himself of
something, and forcing a passage through
the crowd in the hallway, drew the atten-
ton Of the assemblage and shouted:
Hear ye, bear We. $500 reward for
Mccoy, $500 for Jones. $500 each for Lee
Roy and Sterry, dead or alive"
This brief announcement produced
great enthusiasm, and ELECTED loud ap
plause. Deafening cheers sounded
through the sharp night air when the
official, a moment later, delivered the fol-
lowing characteristic proclamation:
"Hear ye, this is Seth K. Sharpless
speaking. for himself Individually now.
1 will give $500 in addition to the reward
offered by the territory for the capture of
Mccoy, dead or alive"
There was now renewed activity in the
ranks of the posse. At 10 o'clock fifty
well mounted and fully armed men, a
majority Of whom are thoroughly &C
quaInted with the contiguous region, were
impatlently awaiting the orders of the
sheriff. All preparations were completed,
the leaders OF the parties provided with
implements for the severing Of barb wire
in order that fences might not retard their
progress or interfere with the chase.
Although all possible haste was made and
every effort put forth to place officers
upon the trail of the fleeing murderer,
burglar and horse thieves, it was almost
three hours after the escape was discov-
cred before the pursuit was actively com
menced.
A squad departed in every direction il
was presumed the criminals might have
taken, whilst horsemen were detailed to
carefully search the outskirts of the city.
Two well armed parties started for the
North. Crow, Pole, Horse and Bear
creeks, their tributaries and surrounding
hills, will be thoroughly Travelled over be-
fore noon to-day, while the West. South
and East will not be overlooked. If the
men are not captured within twenty-four
hours it will be simply because they are
better mounted and more acquainted with
the country than their pursuers.
Upon the arrival of Gen. Crook from
the east at 1880 o'clock last night he was
waited upon by Sheriff Sharplcss and Col.
Murrin and requested to instruct Col.
OHley. commanding Fort Russell, to fur.
nish aid To thn civil authorities. if poa,i.